The atmosphere at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park was almost idyllic as an unexpected event unfolded. Nestled in a lush green setting, the archery range was surrounded by towering trees, with the tranquility of a Japanese morning occasionally interrupted by the sounds of bows being pulled and arrows hitting targets situated 70 meters away.
Then came a shocking turn of events: South Korea faced defeat.
For nearly three decades, the South Korean women’s archery team had dominated the Asian Games in the team recurve category, claiming the title every time since 1998. This included a remarkable streak of seven gold medals, spanning seven different generations of archers, with India never even reaching the finals.
On Friday, however, the Indian trio of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma, and Kumkum Mohod broke that streak by defeating the Koreans 5-3, marking India’s first gold in the women’s team recurve event at the Asian Games. “We weren’t scared at all,” Kirti remarked. “In the morning, we decided to play happily and enjoy the game, regardless of the outcome.”
The backgrounds of the three athletes were varied and compelling.
Ankita, aged 28, was raised in Kolkata, where her father worked as a milk delivery person, starting his day at 4 AM. Her mother observed a fast until the victory was secured. Kirti, 19, hails from a farming family in Haryana and had her father, Vijay Kumar, borrow Rs 60,000 for a new recurve bow in 2022, promising to repay the debt from the farm’s future earnings. Kumkum, the youngest at 17, is from Amravati, where her father Anil produces cardboard boxes for sweet shops and she previously competed with second-hand bows.
Once they took their positions on the shooting line, these personal histories faded, as did the formidable reputation of the South Korean team.
As the announcer introduced South Korea as ten-time Olympic champions, Kumkum confidently whispered, “Today’s Asian Games title will be ours.” Kirti shared a similar sentiment, stating that the thought of competing against Korea never intimidated her. “Being alongside those two, who were participating in their first Asian Games, gave me a sense of freedom. They carried no burdens of past expectations,” explained Ankita, the most experienced member of the team.
Playing without the weight of previous losses proved advantageous, as India faced not only the three South Korean archers but also a formidable wind that acted as an invisible adversary. The strong breeze forced the Indian team to recalibrate their aim, treating the target’s 10-ring as if it were a clock face. “We aimed towards 9 o’clock because the wind was driving towards 3 o’clock. We targeted 8 or 9 o’clock,” Kirti explained.
Adaptability was crucial as well. After Kirti felt the pressure while shooting second and scored a 7 and two 8s, the team adjusted their shooting order. With the pressure alleviated, she managed to shoot two 10s and a 9. “We made critical decisions during the match, identifying issues and addressing them immediately,” said Ankita, who, along with her teammates, practiced by shooting 400 arrows daily.
The first two sets ended in a tie, with both teams scoring 54 in the first and 56 in the second, leaving the match at 2-2. Then, Korea faltered, with each of their archers scoring three consecutive 8s in the third set. India capitalized on this mistake, scoring 8, 9, and 10 to win the set 55-51, thereby taking a 4-2 lead.
Korea needed to secure victory in the fourth set to remain in the competition, while India only required a tie. The Koreans ended the set with a score of 54, and initially, it seemed India fell short. However, during the score confirmation, Kirti’s first arrow, originally marked as an 8, was reviewed and upgraded to a 9, bringing India’s total to 54. This tied the set, resulting in a 5-3 overall victory for India.
This triumph was not merely about securing a gold medal; it marked the end of a title that had seemed almost hereditary.
The reaction from the Korean team was particularly poignant due to its rarity. The three archers stood together afterward, some visibly emotional, as they processed the end of a remarkable streak that had begun long before any of them entered the international archery scene.
“We were hoping for a shoot-off because we excel in that,” Oh Yejin stated. “We wanted it so badly.” Lee Yunji expressed her regret, saying, “I feel very sorry that we were part of the team that ended that seven-title streak.”
A Korean journalist wandered the venue, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of the event. “Very depressed,” he remarked.
This was an extraordinary moment in a sport where South Korea’s women had made victory seem routine for nearly 30 years, and now three Indian women stood at the forefront of this remarkable shift.
Over an 18-year career, Mihir Vasavda has covered numerous high-profile events, including the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the Olympic Games in London 2012, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024, as well as the Asian Games in 2014 and 2022, the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018, and the Hockey World Cups in 2018 and 2023, alongside the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup.
